Hand protector for golfers



Nov. 8, 1932. L. AUSTER HAND: PROTECTOR FOR GOLFERS Filed Feb 4, 1951 INVENTOR [00H Al/J7R,

BY [I119 ATTORNEYJ W MW M Fatented Nov. 8, 1932 fours Ausrnn, on vnw YORK, my.

HAND rnornoron 'ron, GOLFERS Application filed February 4, 1931 -Serial"1\To. 518,418? I This invention relates to improvements in hand protectors, and has more particular relation to. improvements in hand protectors for use in playing golf.

V The object of the invention is to provide means forprotecting the portion'of the hand of the player thatusually receives the greatest amount of irritation or friction from the golf handle when the club is firmly grasped 10 and swung. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand protector for golf which will protect the parts of the hand exposed to irritating friction, and, at the same time, leave all the muscles of the hand free and especially to leave-the back of the hand and all thefingers' free of any incumbrance or restraint that 7 would tend to spoil the golf grip or feel,.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector for the palm of the hand having finger loops for holding it in position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a partial hand protector for a certain part of the palm of the hand provided with a I finger loop or loops for securing it in position.

The invention also has other objects, all

of which will be hereinafter more particular- 7 1y set forth and claimed. 1 In the accompanying drawing part of this specification: p a

Figure 1 represents a rear view of my improved protector when appliedto the Cleft hand of the player. a

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Figure 3 is a plan view of the protector,

detached from the hand.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the-p ro-V ers V tector on theline 3, 3 of Figure 3.

V Figure 5 is a plan View of a modified form r 0 of the device, with a loop for one finger only.

Fi 'ure 6 is a similar view of Figure 5 for,

two fingers,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inside of the players hand with the protector with the one finger loop applied, and

Figure 8 represents a plan view of a modified form of protector.

Described in general terms, thepresent invention is intended to provide a protector for the front of the hand and fingers for use by 7 game. 1

golf players to prevent the usual irritation l and blisters formed by the players grip on his club, and byswinging or driving.

It is, of course, well 'known that most all players of golf havetheir own individual manner of gripping the club when swinging ,or driving and as the handles of golf clubs are all provided with frictional grips of leather or similar material to prevent slipping of the hand, itifollows that continued use and V gripping of this material and slight turning V of the club during'the drive, causes extreme irritation in certain parts of the palm of. the hand and the fingers, where doubled about tl1e" club. ,This irritation, according to the conditionof the players hand, not only results n an irritation of the skin and flesh 1 under it, but often reaches a point where blisters are formed, and the player, in order to continue his play, must provide some protection'such asa glove or adhesive tape attached in thedesired position on his hand or fingers, v

7 Such gloves. or theapplicationof adhesive tape, always interfere with the player, as 'with either the gloves or the adhesive tape,

the players hands aren'ot free ofrestraint and he is always consciousof the gloves or formingv tape and this consciousness of some confining influence on his hands, prevents the free and easy grip and; the feell of his club, which is so essential to perfect playing of the With the presentinvention, the inventor has provided a protector either forthewh'ole palm of the hand and the fronts of all'the fingers, .or for any individual finger, or any. two finand has provided this structure in a way that leaves the hand and fingers entirely rm; of any restraining influence or any binding or pulling when he takes his gri'p'on the 1 club In otherwords, with this, improved devicein use, the player is not conscious at all .of its presence, andthe back ofjhis hand is fully exposed so that when his grip tightens on the club, v

across the back of his hand, such aswould be caused by a glove 'or. by a tape wound he will feel no pull or strain 7 about his hand. The player secures all the advantages of a protector on thep'art of his hand or fingers where, in his own particular case and because of his own particular grip, 7

hands; according to his particular style of play, the presentinvention is so arranged that it may be applied either to the whole palm of the hand and the .fronts of the fingers, or to any particular'individual 'point on the palm or the fingers and with a minimum consciousness that the protector is present on his hand at all, either when gripping the club or when swinging or driving. While it may seem that thisconsciousness of the presence of a glove or restraining influence should not affect the golfers play, it is a well established fact that anything at the time of a playersswinging or driving that diverts his mind even for a second from the direction of his swinging, and from his sighting of the ball, is usually fatal to his stroke.

In other words, a players mind must be absolutely free of any diverting influence in making his drive such 'as would be caused by the presence of a glove or a binding tape.

This theory of the'players mind being free of all external influences when makinghis drive, is so well known and established that no further statements are thought necessary.

To secure the improved results above outlined, the present applicant has formed his protector as a preferred form, of two flat strips of chamois skin 1 and 5, or other desirable flexible material. The two strips 1 and 5 are stitched together about their edges except where loops 2 are located. Near one edge of the strip 1, as best shown in Figure 1, are two finger loops or strips 2, formed by slitting the strip 1 as at 6, 6; The strip 1 is stitched down'to the strip5 as at 11 in front of each loop 2 and as at 13 on each 'inner side of each loop. The top and bottom of each'loopalso has a row of stitches near the edge to finish it and hold the chamois from tearing as at 14. The strips or loops 2, are so spaced on the part 1, that when the forefinger and the little finger are passed through the loops, the protector proper will lie over the palm of the hand and also over the lower parts of all the fingers where the natural irritation from'grasping a club occurs. As the protector is lyingfl'at against the front of thehand, its presence is, of

course, not noticeable when gripping a club and as the loops 2, 2, only pass about .a very small portion of the forefinger and the little finger, thereis absolutely no restraint whatever to the back of the hand of the player when he grips the club, and he is not even conscious of the presence of these loops, be-

. cause they are passing about his forefinger and little finger at points Where, when he grips the club, there is no strain thrown upon them that would tend to cramp them or exert a pull on them and the players hand can fall into a natural and unrestrained position.

The protector may, of course, be applied either on the left or right hand of a player,

according to where his particular style of play causes the greatest irritation or blisters.

As the style of grip and play of somepl'ayers causes blisters or irritations to appear only at one certain point, the modified forms shown in Figures 5 and 6 are provided.

These narrow strips or protectors have either single loops 3, or double loops 4, 4, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 respectively for protecting only a small part of the palm as desired.

'Their construction is practically the same as shown in Figure 3 except that in Figure 4 a slit 15 is formed-between the loops. 7

After a player has determined just'where his hands are most liable tobecome irritated or blistered, he may select the desired width of protector, and if the protection is only desired on one finger or the palm of the hand below that finger, then it will only be necessary for him to use a single finger protector as shown in Figure 5. In-Figure 8 Ihave shown a protector formed of one strip or thickness of chamois 7 with a single narrow strip 10 of material 10, stitched to 7 at each end and in the middle as at 9 to form the two finger loops 8. The double thickness of Figure 1 will give greater flexibility and durability than a single strip of similar thickness.

While I have illustrated in the drawing the protectoras applied to the left hand, where in most cases the irritation occurs, it will be understood that if the particularstyle of play of any player causes blisters on the right hand, the protector may be easily applied to the righthand or any portion of the right hand. r V p The applicant is, of course, aware that gloves have been employed with the finger tips removed for golfers, but the present in-' vention, it is emphatically'pointedout, provides a protection without restraint of the hand and fingers thatcannot be secured by a glove.

lVhile the applicants form of protector.

may not, at first blush, appear to be greatly different from a glove, the applicant wishes to again call attention to the fact that in the .of his club, as such interference would, with-' out doubt, spoil his stroke.

It has been found that the present type of gloves for golfers are cumbersome because the construction of the finger portions are such that undue bulk is created by the usual gusset construction between the fingers,

thereby restricting the full freedom of the fingers when gripping'a club.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: v

1. In a hand and finger protector. for golfers, the combination with a main flat flexible protector strip, of a second flexible securing strip attached to themain strip except where the finger loops are to be located and covering the entire area of the main strip 7 and having slits formed in it at spaced intervals to provide spaced finger loops therein, leaving the main strip altogether unbroken.

2. In a hand and finger protector for golfers, the combination "with 'a main flat flexible protector strip, of asecond securing tain distance from each side edge to form v finger loops. 7 I 7 In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

LOUIS AUSTER, 

